Here's the first group of photos from Zach -- shot during November and December, 1998.

Okay folks, get ready! This is where I live! What you see here is the new "campo" Zach, adorned in traditional campesino gear (straw hat, machete at side), surrounded by a picturesque, pre-Mitch landscape of the countryside near Manto. Qué bonito, va! Look at all that GREEN!

Here I am, learning about traditional Honduran agriculture. The plants to the right are Yuca, and the people here adore them. The roots are edible and many prefer them fried with chicharrón (pork skins).

In this picture, we find some cipotes, or kids, hauling firewood home. Hauling firewood is a daily task for many Hondurans, as very few have electricity, and of those who do have that privilege, most opt to cook over fire. The tiny kid in the back is dressed like the majority of other Honduran kids his age, he is naked!

Three fellow Volunteers, (left to right): Mary, Kelly, and Brooke. Good friends from our group of forty.

Brooke, Lisa, Eric, and Kelly, in Santa Lucía, overlooking Tegus!

After being yanked from the throes of Mitch and being put-up in Panamanian luxury, the NOW estranged Volunteers from Honduras lounge on a pier overlooking Paitilla Bay in Panama City (left to right): Me, Ryan, Missy, Steph, Sara, Rebecca, and Maya.

In Panama, at the Spanish Cooperation´s educational farm. We were taught the regulars, plus a little about organic ag! Here´s our whole training group, plus some trainers.

Getting to work! During my site visit to Manto, a new friend and I worked on guacales, wooden bowls made from the fruit of the Jicaro tree. This picture was taken in what is now my back yard. See my horse, Chili?

This is a picture of one area in the beautiful Entrena offices where we trained in Santa Lucía. I spent MANY a day here during my first four months.

The grand Catholic Church of Santa Lucía. Although difficult to see, the altar includes a black Christ, sculpted by Spaniards in aspired reallocation for the massive loads of silver they took from the villagers in their visits.

More of the Spanish Cooperation´s farm in Panama.

A provisional bridge which I (later) helped to improve. For two weeks during and after Mitch, this piece of wood along with several others, some rope and some nails, formed the key bridge for transportation between Santa Lucía and Tegus. This man thought it was worth the dangerous crossing to get out early. Most who relocated to Tegucigalpa didn´t find any better conditions there.

Example section of road which Mitch destroyed - one of 6 in between Santa Lucía and Tegus. Yeah, by the way, that specific missing section of road measured about 90 meters.

Another missing section of highway, summing up the state of Honduras´ infrastructure after Mitch. Villagers await communication on the other side - many went without.

One not-so-lucky house, near the river - the owners, luckily, survived to rebuild.

The living room of that same house.

Teamwork! Members of the many small communities struggled together to build the aforementioned provisional bridge.

Burying my worries on a beach in Panama. We had A LOT of downtime!

The present day Zach: hairy-faced, slightly tanned, pensive and skeptical, and ALWAYS smiling!

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Story Source: Personal Web Site

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Honduras; Photography - Honduras

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